Internal-combustion engine



T. A. HUTSE LL. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED IAN-3. I920.

1,391,189, Patented-Sept. 20,1921. 7

. wacul'oi T/raWarAbMe/l umTED s rE THoMAs .A. HursELL, or SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR To THE MOTOR COMPANY, or SPOKANE, WASHINGTON. H

s PA-TENT lorr es;

'HYIZIT'SELL .fmmimAn-comnusrioii. ENGINE. f l

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Spt, i921:

Application filed January 3, 1920. Serial No. 349,283

To. all whom itmay mm.-

Be it known that I, .THo As A. Ho'rsn L, a citizen of the United States, residing at Spokane, in the county'of Spokane and State of WVashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Internal Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification. Y

The present inventionrelates to improvements in internal combustion engines and particularly to the construction of iston and cylinder, and also to the construction of the lubricating neans' for oiling the piston in its reciprocation in the cylinder. "The primary object of the invention is to'so simplify the "construction and operation of the engine by reducing the numberof parts in its assembly in order that its manufacture may be facilitated and its cost ,of'productiojn reduced to a considerable degree, as well as to enhance the efliciency of the engine. To this endtheinvention involves the utilization of'an inverted piston of which the firing stroke is utilized on its upward movement, and in constructing this specially formed piston with a hollow or tubular stem for. transferring the fresh charge of fuel to the compression and ignition end of the cylindenand also for utilizing the hollow stem in conjunction with the 'oil pipes for distributing the lubricating oil between the Walls of the piston and cylinder, all as will be hereinafter more fully pointed out and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention is illustrated, the parts being combined and arranged according to the best mode I have thus far devised for the application of the principles of my invention. The drawings merely exemplify a prefererd structure and it will be understood that alterations and changes may be made in the illustrated structure within the scope of my claim without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Figure l is a vertical, transverse, central sectional view of an internal combustion engine embodying the principles of my invention, the water jacket and other inci dental features of the usual gas engine being omitted as not necessary for a clear understanding of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, but taken at right 'of course not in communication.

ang es to Fig. 1, showing also a portion of the crank case of the engine. I I

' In the preferred form of the inventionas illustrated in the drawings the engine embodies-the usual crank case 1 upon. which 'is supported the engine base 2 inthenature of a casting with an integral, vertical, central guide tube or sleeve 3 in. which the hollow tubular stem 4 of the .invert'ed-pistonfi reciprocates with the movement of the piston,

and thus the movement of the stem is stabilized and guided, as ittransmits movement to the connectingrod 6 pivoted thereto and connected with thecrank shaft of the engine not shown. V i

The cylinder 7 is in the form of asingle casting closed at the upper end and open at its lower end and securely attached, as

by bolts as'usual to the engine base, the cylinder, as illustrated being somewhat elongated and provided with the gas intake port 8 anda pair of exhaust ports 9 as usual. The customary packing rings 10 are utilized in the piston and similar packing rings 11 are provided for the piston stem, for oiiement in the cylinder and sleeve respect ve y. I r N I The fuel charge to the cylinder isreceived through the intake 8 in the wall of the cylinder and hollow isto'n stem and from there the-gas 1s distri uted through the radial passages 12 extending outwardly from the interior of thestem and adapted to register with complementary passages 13 in the upper end of the engine case which passages open into the bottom of the cylinder. Thus the intake of the fuel charge occurswhen the inverted piston is in lowermost position and the two passages 12 and 13 are out of alinement and On the up strike of the piston the charge is compressed in the upper end of the cylinder and finall in the inverted piston and forced downwar ly through the piston stem and through the assages into the lower or ignition end .of t e cylinder, the position of the parts in Fig. 1 indicatin this condition. On the next down stroke oft episton the charge is compressed and may then be ignited in usual manner, from the spark plug S, the explosion of the charge taking place below the piston head and forcing the piston up on the firing stroke, the exhaust gases passing passes downwardly through the is out through the exhaust" port or ports 9.

7 Thus the intake and exhaust ports and the leaks of sage orpo rt 14 in the lower endv of the en-.

gine base, which ireceivesflubricating oil from theoil pum asusual, and in the artition a radial 011 passage '15 is provlded opening out at the periphery of the stem and in line to register with the oil'inlet passage or port 14 in the engine base, An oil. pipe 16 iss'crewed into the partition 13 with direct communication with the passage 15,,

and this pipe extends up through the tubular pistonstem and projects a suitable distance in the inverted piston where' it terminates and is provided with radiatingbranch oil pipes 17 whose ends pass through the walls of the 'piston,,and open at the periphery of the piston; In addition to performing their function of conveyin 7 to the adj oinin i the lubricating oil g wal ofthe piston and cylinder, these -p1pes 17 brace and hold rigid the vertical'oil pipe or stand pipe 16 and retain it in place in the piston and stem,

the lower end ofthe stand ipe of course being rigidly'supported int e stem parti- 7 tion as described. With each reciprocating movement of the piston and stem, the passages 14 and 15 are alined and register and ricating oil is forced therethrough, and

thence through the stand pipe and dis- 7 'tributed throughthe radial branch pipes to I p the iston and cylinder w a11 s,;-thu s' uniform y and continuously lubricating the contacting surfaces, not only of. theypiston and cylinder, but alsojof the stem and engine base, for it will be evident that these parts. also are thus lubricated.

From the above descriptiontakenin con- 1 nection with my drawings it is evident that I have providedan eflicient and owerful engine in which thefuel charge is rst com-V pressed above the iston by an upstroke of the latter thus re ucing by approximately one half the area of the cylinder on the compression stroke, and thislcompressed charge is then passed throughthe hollow stem into therfiring end of. the cylinder, which has a Y previously been emptied of the spent or exhaust gases, where it is ignited in usual manner, and the engine performs the usual functions of this type of motor-in a but efficient manner; i

' "What I claim is' 1 I a 4 e g The combination with atubular i cylinder and iston support and its cylinder and combustion chamber, of an openinverted piston,

' a hollow pistonstem in said support,a partition closing the lower'end of said stem and an oil pipe threaded therein with its upper end in the piston, radiatingbranch' simple pipes from said oil pipe passed through the Walls of'said piston, sai

end'of the oil pipe and saidbaseha'ving a supply passage adapted to register-(there with, intake and exhaust 1ports to the ,cyl-

ishing cOm' nunication for a fuel charge between the combustion chamber and" hollow piston stem coninder, and means for estab trolled by the movement 'of the stem. 1

p In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

THOMAS a H rs L partition having j an oil passage extending from the lower 

